Disability Services A Safety Awareness Program
SafePlace: Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survival Center
2001

Reviewed by Loree Cook-Daniels

Information and resources for both professionals who work with abuse victims with disabilities and for victims themselves are included in the new “Stop the Violence, Break the Silence: A Training Guide and Resource Kit [for] Building Bridges Between Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Agencies, Disability Service Agencies, People with Disabilities, Families and Caregivers.”

The kit, which was produced by Disability Services ASAP (A Safety Awareness Program) of SafePlace: Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survival Center in Austin, Texas, includes six modules:

1. Disability awareness;

2. Violence, abuse and disability;

3. Program and agency considerations;

4. Tools for educating and counseling people with disabilities;

5. Educational support group for people who have experienced domestic or caregiver violence; and

6. Resources.

SafePlace says the goals of the Kit are to:

• Increase knowledge and awareness regarding violence and abuse perpetrated against people with disabilities;

• Enhance physical, programmatic and attitudinal accessibility of domestic violence and sexual assault services for people with all types of disabilities;

• Provide strategies for helping to reduce violence and abuse by providing abuse prevention and personal safety education to people with disabilities;

• Provide strategies for crisis intervention services to people with disabilities;

• Provide resources for additional educational and supplemental materials to teach abuse prevention to people with cognitive, developmental, physical and other disabilities; and

• Encourage the development of service linkages between disability service professionals and domestic violence and rape crisis agencies.

The full Training Guide and Resource Kit costs $135. Part of the Training Guide, the Educational Support Group curriculum, can be purchased by itself for $15.

To order or for more information, contact:

Disability Services ASAP
Attn: Stop the Violence, Break the Silence
P.O. Box 19454
Austin, Texas 78760
512-385-5181 (phone)
512-385-0662 (fax)
http://www.austin-safeplace.org/programs/disability/stopTV.htm